Giant sinkhole opens into 60,000-year-old volcano in New Zealand

Giant sinkhole opens into 60,000-year-old volcano in New Zealand

Written by Nathasha De Alwis

09 May, 2018 | 1:11 am

Written by Nathasha De Alwis
09 May, 2018 | 1:11 am

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A giant sinkhole on a North Island farm as deep as four double-decker buses and almost the length of two football fields has grabbed the attention of New Zealand volcanologists. It had appeared after heavy rain near the town of Rotorua on the North Island, an area renowned for its geothermal activity.

The chasm appeared and left a jagged scar on the landscape, exposing rock deposits from 60,000 years ago. Geologists believe that thousands of years of rain eroded underground limestone, causing the ground to collapse.